Days after John Kerry announced the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Jay Carney said the administration is already at work on when to bring leaders to Washington to facilitate the process.

White House to invite Israelis, Palestinians to D.C.

Days after Secretary of State John Kerry announced the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration is already at work on when to bring leaders to Washington to facilitate the process.

Carney offered no date for the visits or timeframe that the White House is seeking for a peace deal, arguing that doing so -- or providing any details about previous or current conversations -- could upend progress.

But he said that President Barack Obama remains confident that a deal can be struck, and are pleased with the level of attention Kerry has committed to striking a deal in his first few months in office.

"As for our level of optimism, it is very cautious optimism, since this is such a hard challenge," Carney said. "There's no question it's hard ... But we are obligated to engage in this effort."

Kerry is set to meet with Obama on Monday at the White House as part of their regular meeting schedule. Carney said he is confident the peace negotiations will be a topic of that meeting and that Kerry has Obama's full support in his efforts so far.

"We're at a stage here that represents some positive progress but is not representative of a conclusion of anything," Carney added later. "This remains an important challenge for this country and our allies around the world."